If you returned from a one-month vacation would your business be operating as well as before you left? Companies that are the most valuable and marketable to business buyers are those that don’t require daily management from an owner. If through systemization, automation, documented processes, procedures, cross-training, and delegation the business can maintain good performance for a month in your absence, it will be a more compelling acquisition target.

If you are confident your business will perform well in your absence and you are getting ready to sell the business in the near future, you may want to consider taking a one-month documented vacation. If your company is able to demonstrate good performance during your time away, it will give an acquirer greater confidence of continued solid performance post acquisition, and that, in turn, may lead to a higher price, better terms, and a quicker sale.

In contrast, if you are not confident that you could be gone for 3-4 weeks without the business suffering, then you may want to make improvements to the business before attempting to sell. If the business is so dependent on you that it will fall apart in your absence how can a buyer have confidence that they will be able to fill your role given that other employees can't? If this is the case, wouldn't an acquirer, in essence, be acquiring a job rather than a business?

If you'd like to develop a better understanding of other issues that may impact your business' marketability and value, Codiligent offers a Marketability Assessment which is free for businesses with at least $1 million in revenue and that have been in operation for at least two full years.